Story Time
by doggylove613
Summary: The Team is stuck at the cave for mandatory team bonding. So what'll they do to pass the time? Share their backstories! What could go wrong?
1. M'gann

**In this story, The Team know Robin's secret ID, but only Wally knows anything about him.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice, or any of the characters**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

After everything The Team went through in the past year, they all felt that they were as close as any team could possibly be. Sure, they had some problems to begin with, but they worked them all out in the end. Black Canary on the other hand, disagreed. And considering she was the resident therapist, and team trainer, if she said they needed team bonding time, they _got_ team bonding time. And that's why The Team could be found in the cave, on a Sunday night, doing nothing.

The last bonding night had been spent with everyone on their phones, so a new rule was made banning all electronic devises that could be used in any way for entertainment. As Black Canary put it, they would have to communicate a different way. They would have to "talk."

"Hey, I know what we could do," M'gann said, as she got up and sat on the floor.

"I'm willing to try anything at this point," Wally said, "we've been sitting here for hours doing nothing."

"Wally," Dick said with a smirk, "it's been five minutes."

"Yeah, but you know how long that feels like for a speedster! Time moves much slower!"

"What was your idea M'gann?" Kaldur asked, changing the subject. He had learned the hard way that he should never let those two have a lengthy discussion about anything that can cause trouble. They very often liked to settle their disputes with an experiment of some sort.

"First, we all have to sit around in a circle." M'gann said.

"Well you have my attention." Artemis said, as she got up from the couch and sat down on the floor next to M'gann. Wally followed Artemis's lead and sat down in the circle, with Dick, Conner and Kaldur trailing behind him.

"Okay," M'gann said once everyone was sitting in the circle, "I thought that since we're all here to bond a little bit, we could all try to get to know each other a little better."

"How?" Superboy asked.

"Well, what about if we all tell our backstories?" M'gann asked.

"Umm, M'gann?" Wally said, as he glanced at Dick nervously "I'm not sure this is such a good idea."

"It seems as though this idea could help us grow as a team," Kaldur said, "I believe we should do it."

"It's okay," Dick whispered to Wally, "they'll find out eventually. Better they hear it from me than from one of the gossip shows they watch."

"You sure, dude? I can always tell them I have a phobia of backstories or something." Wally said with a smirk on his face.

"Right. Like they'd believe that." Dick said, giving him an eyeroll.

"I'll start!" M'gann said after everyone looked ready, "It's a pretty short story. When Uncle J'ohn was visiting Mars, I decided to stow away on his ship, so I could go to earth! Soon after, Uncle J'ohn asked if I would like to join The Team. And that's pretty much it."

"Wait, really?" Artemis asked, "your uncle didn't get mad, or try to send you back or something?"

"Well… he was really surprised when he found out I was on his ship, I mean; he hadn't even met me before." M'gann said, "But Uncle J'ohn doesn't really get angry."

"So, you just became a superhero?" Conner asked.

"I got to earth shortly before Independence Day actually," M'gann said. "Uncle J'ohn was thinking about bringing me to meet you guys, but apparently he was glad he didn't after everything you did that day."

The boys looked at each other and grinned. The adults may not have been happy with what they did that day, but the boys didn't regret it one bit. It was The Teams origin story. Besides, what they did that day resulted in the rescuing of Conner.

"So, I guess that's all there is to it," M'gann said, "who's next?"

Everyone looked around to see who would go next.

"I suppose I will." Kaldur said when no one else responded.

"Hang on! Before we continue story time," Wally said, which earned him and eyeroll from Artemis, "I need a few snacks."

"Of course you do, Baywatch," Artemis said, rolling her eyes again, "You should have been called Kid Food instead of Kid Flash."

"I resent that!" Wally said standing up, "How many times do I have to explain that I need to eat a lot because of my enhanced metabolism?"

"You can say it all you want," Artemis said, "You still should've been called Kid Food."

"Hey!" Dich piped up, "You'd even get to keep the nickname 'KF' if you changed your name!"

"We will take a five-minute break and return back here afterwards." Kaldur said, interrupting yet another fight before it happened.

"Works for me!" Wally said, running to the kitchen.

Everyone stood up and went their separate ways, stretching their feet before the next backstory. Dick especially started doing some strange, impossible looking stretches while he waited for everyone to gather together again. So far, The Team had learned a little bit more about their resident Martian. Soon enough, they'd learn more about their resident Atlantean, archer, Kryptonian, speedster, and acrobat.

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 **That's the first chapter! I didn't really know how to end it, so I stopped it at a bit of a random point.**


	2. Kaldur

**AN- Hey guys! I am so so so sorry this is so late. I've been super busy with school ,and haven't had the chance to write. I really hope you like it. I don't know how accurate the information I have on Aquaman is. I got it mostly from the Young Justice comics, and I changed around a few facts.**

 **Disclaimer- I don't own Young Justice**

Five minutes later, they were all in a circle on the floor. The only difference was that Wally had a giant bowl of popcorn this time.

"What?" Wally asked when he noticed all the stares.

"This isn't exactly the type of thing you bring popcorn too." Artemis said.

"Any good story time has popcorn!"

"This isn't exactly story time, Wally" Dick said with a raised eyebrow.

" _You're_ definitely not getting any popcorn now." Wally said under his breath. At that comment, everyone began to argue about whether it was the right time for popcorn or not.

"I think it's okay to have popcorn while we share our backstories as long as everyone gets." M'gann said.

"I disagree." Wally said, "I think only _I_ need the popcorn because of my enhanced metabolism."

"Yeah," Dick said, "accept for the fact that popcorn was created for the purpose of being eaten during _movies_ , not backstories."

"I agree with Dick."

" _Thank you, Artemis_!"

"No way!" Wally said, "Popcorn is for _any_ time! Not just movies!"

"But this just isn't the right atmosphere for snacking on popcorn!" Artemis said.

" _Anytime_ is the right atmosphere for snacking on popcorn!"

"Maybe we should get back on topic." Conner said through the noise. Everyone turned to look at him.

"Good idea, Conner." Kaldur said, "I suppose I should share my backstory now?" When no one responded, Kaldur began, "When I about fourteen, Atlantis was at war with a man called Black Manta. One day, my best friend Garth and I saved Aquaman from him.

"Wait, hang on," Wally said with the popcorn in his mouth, "how old were you and you were fighting in a war?"

"I was twelve when I began my service in the military," Kaldur said, "and I was 14 when Atlantis was at war. At that point, I was a part of the Conservatory of Sorcery, led by Queen Mera."

"Seriously?" Artemis asked, " _Twelve-year olds_ are allowed in the Atlantean military?!

"Twelve years old is the mandatory age to begin military service."

"Why so young?" M'gann asked.

"Yeah," Wally said, "That's crazy!

"Life is very different in Atlantis," Kaldur said, "it may be considered unusual on the surface world, but it is normal there.

"Hmm..." Wally said, "I never thought of it that way. Just because it's the norm here doesn't mean it's the only right option. Someone somewhere else might have a completely different set of rules and think that _our_ life is super weird."

"Well said Wally," Dick said, "that was pretty profound."

"I know," Wally said as he straitened his back with pride. "I'm just super profound like that."

"Yeah," Dick said with a smirk, "it was very profound, considering we know two aliens and an Atlantean that constantly tell us that our culture is vastly different than theirs and pretty much don't stop telling us what you just said."

"So, to summarize," Artemis said, "what you said wasn't very profound at all."

"Hey! Wally said with an indignant cry, "What I said was _super_ profound!

"I think what you said was very nice, Wally."

"Thank you M'gann!" Wally said in an exasperated tone, as he waved his hand in M'gann's general direction, "At least someone recognizes my wisdom!"

"What wisdom?" Conner asked, genuine curiosity on his face.

"What- I- wisdom – what" Wally spluttered, "I've got tons of wisdom!"

"Oh yeah?" Dick asked, "Say something wisdom-y then."

"That'll have to wait until it's my time to share."

"Nice way to get out of that one," Artemis said, "You sure dodged a bullet this time."

"No bullet was dodged! I'll give my words of wisdom when it's my turn to share! Right now, it's Kaldurs' turn. Speaking of which, Kaldur, care to continue?"

"Thank you, my friend." Kaldur said, "As I was saying, Garth and I saved Aquaman's life."

"How did you save his life?" M'gann asked, "What happened?"

"Well," Kaldur said, "The war had been going on for only a few days. Aquaman decided to confront Black Manta before the war got any worse."

"Did he have a plan?" Conner asked.

"No," Kaldur said, "he did not have time to make one. He became engaged in battle with Black Manta. He was being defeated, but Garth and I arrived just as Aquaman was about to fail. We managed to hold Black Manta off long enough for Aquaman to defeat him."

"Wow," M'gann said, "That's an amazing story! I can't believe you saved Aquaman's life! That's so cool!

"Thank you, my friend." Kaldur said, "After that, Aquaman offered Garth and I the opportunity to become his protege on the surface world. Garth decided to continue his studies with Queen Mera, but I considered Aquaman's offer an opportunity I could not pass up."

"Why?" Dick asked, "If I had the opportunity to study sorcery, I probably wouldn't pass it up."

"I had often dreamt of seeing the surface world. To me, it was a dream come true."

"Wow!" Wally said, as he finished the last few pieces of popcorn, "That's a pretty cool backstory! It's not as cool as mine though." Wally added as an afterthought.

"Oh," Artemis said, "Then you wouldn't mind going next?"

"Walked right into that one, Wally" Dick said with his ever-present smirk.

"I'll go next," Conner said, "but you guys already know my story."

"Maybe," Dick said, "but we don't know it from _your_ perspective."

"Okay," Artemis said, "so Conner's going next. Great. Can we have a quick bathroom break first?"

"But we just had one before Kaldur's turn." M'gann said.

"Yeah," Wally said, "but I need more popcorn, so I'm all for another break."

"Then it is decided," Kaldur said, "We will reconvene in five minutes."

"Can we make it ten?" Dick asked, "I need to stretch my legs a bit."

"Okay, then we shall reconvene in ten minutes." Kaldur said, "Is everyone okay with that?" With their nods of approval, everyone got up and went their separate ways.


	3. Conner

**I am so so so sorry this took so long. I was extremely busy with school and didn't have any time to write. Sorry if the characters are a little ooc. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice**

* * *

Bathroom break done, stretching completed, and popcorn made, everyone returned to their seats within the allotted ten minutes.

Okay," Conner said, "Should I start?"

"Oh my gosh! I'm so excited! I've always wanted to hear Conner's backstory! I can't wait! This is so exciting!"

"Really, Wally?" Artemis said, "Just let the poor clone talk!"

"Yeah, Wally!" Dick said with a smirk, "Just let the poor clone talk!"

"Hey! Are you teasing me?!" Artemis asked, "Because I don't let people who tease me _live_!"

"You seem to be forgetting who you're threatening, Artie-farty." Dick said in a low threatening voice. The hairs on the back of everyone's necks stood up, and goosebumps appeared on everyone's arms. Although it was impossible, the rest of the Team couldn't help but feel like the lights in the room were getting darker, getting drained by Dick's malevolence. "I may not be wearing the sunglasses anymore, but I'm still the Boy Wonder." Robin continued, "I make villains pee their pants when they see me." He said. "I even keep track of how many times it's happened!" Dick added, his tone light again. The lights seemed to brighten again, and everyone tentatively took deep breaths to calm their nerves. After all, it's not everyday they get scared by a Bat.

"So…" Conner said, "I guess my story started at Cadmus. There was a fire, and Kaldur, Wally, and Dick decided to- "

"No Conner!" M'gann said, "we want to hear it from _your_ point of view this time!"

"We have already lived through, and heard the story from our perspective, my friend, now it is your turn."

"Okay, but how do I do that?"

"For starters," Dick said, "don't start with the fire. You weren't there for that part, so it's not a part of your story."

"So, my story started in a pod in Cadmus." Conner said. Encouraged by the nods of approval, he continued, "I opened my eyes, and I saw three strange boys looking at me… it's… well… it's a little blurry. I remember standing in front of the pods you were in," he gestured to the boys.

"Wait," Wally said, "so you don't remember going all Shia LaBeouf on us?"

"Kind of?" Conner sighed, "I know I did it, but I only remember bits and pieces. I was under the influence of the G-nomes then, so it's pretty fuzzy."

"Wow," M'gann said, "I can't imagine not remembering part of my life."

"You don't remember being a baby." Artemis pointed out.

"True, but I feel like this is different"

"I understand what you are saying, M'gann." Kaldur said, "We do not remember our early years, but we remember our teenage years at least. It would feel strange not to have some of that memory."

"It's definitely not fun having no control over your life for as long as it was lived." Conner said, "Maybe that's why one of the next things I remembered was Kaldur telling me I had a choice of my own."

"Wait," Wally said, " _that's_ what you said while we were getting electrocuted? I thought you were just mumbling in pain."

"Because I am Atlantean, I am slightly less affected by electricity that humans, and I was able to get my message across to Conner."

"What did he say to you, Conner?" Dick asked. Everyone's heads turned back to Conner.

"I remember standing in front of the pods," Conner answered, "and Wally – Kid Flash to me then – was mad at me for capturing them. He said they let me go to help and I attacked them." Everyone turned their heads towards Wally and glared at him.

"Hey!" Wally lifted his arms above his head, "I didn't realize he was being mind-controlled at the time! I was just complaining that we didn't exactly get the thanks we expected from him."

"While I understand where you were coming from Wally," Artemis said, "I understand where Conner is coming from too. I mean, think about it. The first thing he ever sees is a random guy yelling at him. I would be confused too. Anyway, continue Conner." Artemis said, trying to steer the conversation back on topic.

"Well, after what Kid Flash said, Aqualad said he didn't think I was in control of my actions." Conner continued, "I didn't really understand what that meant, but I was pretty sure it was true. I was starting to realize what I had done, and I didn't think I had had a choice in it."

"Wow!" M'gann said, "I wouldn't be able to make such a big realization if I were you. You barely knew anything, and still, you were able to recognize that something was off!" Conner blushed.

"I don't know, I would have figured anything out if it weren't for Kaldur." Conner shrugged, "The scientist walked in right as I started thinking and used the G-nome to send me back to my pod. I was walking back to my pod when I heard Aqualad call my name through the screams. He told me I was a living person, and I was able to make my own choices. So, I decided to help them."

"Wooh-hoo!" Dick raised his arms to cheer, "Go Conner!"

"Thanks?" Conner said, "Anyway… we fought our way to the elevator. I took Aqualad and jumped. That's when I realized I couldn't fly. I didn't know why then. I was confused. Before I had time to process anything, we left the elevator shaft on a floor in the middle of the building. No one knew where to go, but all of a sudden, I heard a voice in my head telling me where to go.

"Ohhhh," Wally said, "that makes a lot more sense now. I was wondering why you had led us to a dead end."

"Except it wasn't _really_ a dead end, was it, Conner?" Artemis asked

"No," Conner said, "the directions in my head lead us to a wall, but there was a vent. Robin took us through, hacked the motion sensors so they wouldn't track us, and led us to a staircase leading up, to the top floor. We got corned in a side room. That's when all the genomorphs horns started glowing. Aqualad, Kid Flash and Robin fell to their knees in a sort of sleeping trance. The genomorph told me it was up to me to pave the way for other genomorphs. Then the others woke up. I told him I chose freedom.

"You know, I was always a little fuzzy about what happened at that point. Guess that explains it. Thanks Con!" Dick said.

"Anytime?" Conner replied, "Anyway, after that, the genomorphs stopped mind controlling Guardian, and we were about to leave when Desmond showed up. He drank a formula we're all too familiar with now; Blockbuster."

"Ugg," Artemis said, "I hate that stuff. It makes skin looks all torn up."

"Not to mention it's a pain to fight someone – or something – on blockbuster." M'gann added.

"Yeah," Conner said, "so you can imagine how much fun we had fighting Desmond. After a while though, we managed to knock the building down on top of him. Then… then I saw the moon. The images implanted in my mind were nothing compared to actually seeing it. And then the Justice League showed up. I was nervous, but excited to meet Superman. When he turned away, when he rejected me, I didn't understand why. I was filled with hurt and anger. But I knew one thing; I was going to be a superhero."

"Yeah!" Dick said, "This team wouldn't exist if you hadn't said the few words that would become our motto!"

"Get on board or get out of the way!" Everyone said together, smiling.

"I never realized how confusing everything must have been for you then." Dick said.

"Yeah," Conner said, "there was so much I didn't know then, and I hadn't had any experience in _anything_. It was so confusing, but for the first time, I was able to make my own choices.

"So," Wally said looking at everyone, "who's next?"

* * *

 **I hope this was worth the wait! Please review! Thanks!**


	4. Wally

**Again, I'm so so sorry this is so late. I have a crazy schedule at school but it's finally summer!**

 **This chapter is a little more serious than the previous ones. I hope you enjoy!**

 **Warning: Mention of child abuse but it isn't very detailed**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice**

* * *

"I'm pretty sure Wally volunteered to go next" Artemis said

"What?!" Wally's voice was high pitched "when did I do that?"

"You said something about your backstory and wisdom," M'gann said, "remember?"

"Oh, right." Wally's body went tense, then suddenly relaxed when he said, "well, you've already heard my backstory by the campfire! You don't have to hear it again!"

"We are _all_ telling our stories again, my friend." Kaldur said in calm voice

"Why?" Wally asked, "it's a waste if time!"

"What campfire?" Artemis asked.

"Back when the team first started," Dick said, "we had a campfire and told our backstories." He hesitated, "Well… most of us did." He said with a guilty grin.

"We are doing it again because Artemis was not there then," Kaldur said, "and besides, we know each other better now, and we are sharing more than we did then."

"Fine," Wally said with a frown, "it all started with a science experiment."

"I'm pretty sure all people somehow get their superpowers through a science experiment," Artemis said, "it's like a law."

"Shhhh," Dick said, "don't interrupt."

"As I was saying," Wally shot Artemis a glare, "My Uncle Barry had become The Flash a few years previously, of course, I didn't know his secret identity back then. He's a forensic scientist-"

"Your uncle is a forensic scientist!" M'gann said, "that's so cool!"

"Yeah," Wally, grinned lightly, "I thought so too. I practically worshiped him. Anyway, when I was around eleven, I found out he was The Flash, who I _also_ practically worshiped."

"The Flash told his eleven-year-old nephew his secret identity?" Conner asked.

"Nope." Wally said, "He knew I was into Chemistry, so he took me to his lab one day. He left the room for a minute and I found a journal where he wrote about the accident that gave him his powers!"

"But then how did you get your powers?" Artemis asked.

"I had always dreamed about being a superhero." Wally said, "and just a year earlier, it was proven possible when Robin came to be." Everyone glanced at Dick, while they continued to listen to Wally. "So, I started planning. I decided to re-enact my uncle's accident. The perfect time came a few weeks later when Uncle Barry had to go to a crime scene while he took me to his lab. He told me not to touch anything while he was gone, then he left."

"Wait," Artemis said, "he left an _eleven-year-old_ alone in a lab with a bunch of dangerous chemicals?"

"I may not know beliefs of land people very well," Kaldur said, "but would that not be considered unsafe?"

"Yep!" Wally replied in a cheerful tone, "he didn't really have a choice since no one else was able to watch me, and he'd soon realize the consequences of not having a backup babysitter while working!"

"You mean you got your powers _that_ day?" M'gann asked.

"Well… kinda'? I ended up in a coma for like a week after getting struck by the lightning," Wally said, "but when I woke up, I had powers!"

"You were in a _coma_?" Conned asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Aww, Con," Wally said with a big smile, "I didn't know you cared."

"Uncle Barry must have gone nuts when he found you in his lab with all the chemicals and stuff laying around… and _you_ laying around I guess." Dick said.

"Unfortunately, I was unconscious. I should have videotaped it or something." Wally said with a frown.

"So, what happened next?" Conner asked

"Yeah," M'gann said, "How did you go from having powers to being a superhero?"

"Weeell…" Wally said in a high-pitched voice, "Uncle Barry was a little unsure of the idea at first."

"And by a little unsure," Dick grinned, "you mean totally against it."

Wally glared. "Yes. He was not supportive of me being a superhero at first. But after I ran off to fight crime in his costume one too many times, he decided he should make me a costume I won't trip in and do his best to keep me safe."

"That's pretty cool," Artemis said, "but didn't your parents freak out about you suddenly having powers?" No one noticed Dick frown on the side.

"It's…" Wally rubbed the back of his neck subconsciously. "kind of… complicated."

"How can that be complicated?" Artemis asked, "if I came home with powers one day, my mom would freak out."

"Yeah-but-I" Wally tried to formulate a response, "It's just complicated." Wally quickly got up with a frown and ran out the room before anyone had a chance to blink. Dick sighed. Everyone turned to look at him with eyebrows bent in confusion.

"Do you know what's wrong with him, Dick?" Kaldur asked.

"Yeah," Dick said, still with a frown, "don't worry about it. Let's take a five-minute break and I'll talk to him." With that, Dick got up and followed Wally's previous path out of the room. The remainder of The Team looked at each other, shrugged, and got up for the impromptu break.

* * *

Dick walked up to Wally's room. He hesitated for a second, then put in the door's code. Wally was laying face up on the bed and was staring at the ceiling.

"Dude," Dick walked up to Wally and sat down next to him. "you okay?"

"Yeah," Wally said in a quiet voice, "just didn't expect to talk about my parents today. Wish I could've prepared myself beforehand."

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to."

"I know," Wally said, "but I don't mind telling them. It just took me by surprise." Dick chuckled.

"Most things take you by surprise, Wally," Dick said, "you're not exactly observant,"

"Hey!" Wally threw his pillow at Dick's face, "I take offence to that!" Dick dodged the pillow.

"You were supposed to." his grin faded. "You know I'll be there for you when you tell them."

"Thanks." Wally was quiet for a second, "I'll be there when you tell them your backstory too you know."

"Yeah, I know." Dick looked at the floor "Thanks."

"That's what best friends are for, dude." They were both quiet for a minute, both lost in thought. "We should probably go back to The Team now. I bet they're super confused."

"Just a little. But I told them not to worry about it. They'll understand" Wally took a deep breath and stood up.

"Alright, let's go tell them the rest of my backstory."

* * *

Wally and Dick walked back into the room as everyone was sitting back down in a circle.

"Want to tell us what that was about, Baywatch?" Artemis asked in a gentle voice.

"Yeah… sorry about that guys." Wally said with his head down, "it's just a hard topic for me."

Kaldur put his hand on Wally's shoulder. "You do not have to talk about it if you do not feel comfortable, my friend."

"I don't mind," Wally took a deep breath. "Ever since a few weeks after I got my powers, I've been living with my Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris."

"Why?" Conner asked

"Well… my parents…" Wally took a deep breath, "My father's in prison for child abuse and my mother's in prison for neglect." The cave was completely quiet. No one knew what to say.

"Wally," M'gann's voice was a so quiet it was almost a whisper, "your father was abusive?" Wally nodded. Artemis looked like she wanted to punch someone.

"How did your uncle find out?"

"He found me half dead once at home and beaten to a pulp. It was just a few weeks after I got my powers. My dad got really mad at me that day and he went a little too far. He and my mom ran, thinking I was dead. If it weren't for my enhanced healing, I probably would have been too, but Uncle Barry came over when no one was answering his calls, and he found me there."

"Why would anyone _do_ that?" Conner asked, "How could they hurt you like that?"

"They didn't think I was worth anything." Wally said, "they told me that all the time."

"How did they find your parents?" Artemis asked, "If they ran."

"The Flash found them at a motel a few cities over. Suffice to say he was not happy with them. Ever since that night though, he and my Aunt Iris have taken care of me. They didn't even hesitate to take me in."

"They sound pretty special," M'gann said.

"Yeah," Wally grinned, "I'm lucky to have them." Everyone nodded in agreement. "So," Wally said in a happier voice, "I guess that's my entire backstory. I think we all need a minute before we continue telling more backstories! What do you say Kaldur?" Kaldur nodded.

"We shall continue in ten minutes. And Wally… thank you for sharing." Wally grinned.

* * *

 **I love Wally and Dick's friendship! Hope I brought it to justice! Please review! Thanks for reading and sorry for the long wait!**


	5. Artemis

**This was a little hard for me to write, but** **I hope I brought Artemis's story to justice! Just one more chapter after this! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Young** **Justice**

* * *

When the ten minutes were up, everyone gathered back together and sat back down. The mood still felt somber, until Wally came back in the room with Dick.

"No dude, I'm telling you, water is _not_ wet. Water can get _other_ things wet, but not itself!"

"And _I'm_ telling you," Dick said as they sat down, "that to get _other_ things wet, water itself has to be wet." The rest of The Team looked at each other.

"How do you do that?" Conner asked them. Wally and Dick looked at Conner with confusion.

"Do what?" Dick asked

"We were just talking about a super serious and sad thing," Artemis said, "and not ten minutes later you two are able to happily discuss whether _water_ is _wet_. I've never seen such a shift in moods."

"You learn pretty quickly how to change the mood when you deal in darkness every day." Dick said with a sad grin.

"What does that mean?" M'gann asked.

"It means I work in Gotham. It's not exactly the happiest place on earth over there." Dick said, "But that's a story for another day! Who's next? Me, or Artemis?"

"I'll go." Artemis said in a resigned voice, "I'll probably back out of doing it otherwise."

"Why would you back out of it, my friend?" Kaldur asked. Artemis sighed.

"I've… never really spoken about it before."

"Because it would reveal your secret identity?" Conner asked

"It's just…" Artemis hesitated, "hard to talk about. It's not a cheery backstory."

"It's okay, Artemis," M'gann put her hand on Artemis's shoulder, "we're here for you. We won't judge whatever you have to say."

"Yeah, we all have things that are hard to talk about." Wally said, "But we're here for you, just like you were all there for me when I spoke about _my_ past." Artemis took a deep breath.

"Yeah… I know." She looked around at everyone, "My father is Sportsmaster, my sister is Cheshire, and my mom _was_ Huntress." Artemis looked down, afraid to see everyone's reactions.

"The people we've been fighting all year?" Conner asked. Artemis's voice was barely a whisper.

"Yeah."

"Yeah, who cares." Dick said. Artemis shot her head up to look at Dick.

"What do you mean who cares?" Artemis asked, "my entire family is or was _supervillains_! How do you _not_ care about something like that?"

"It's pretty easy actually," Dick said, "just don't care. Besides, I knew all along, and I was still able to trust you to fight by my side on missions." Everyone looked at Dick with surprise.

"You knew?" Artemis asked, "How?"

"Is it really that hard to believe that the partner to the World's Greatest Detective knew?" Wally asked.

"How come you never said anything?" Artemis asked.

"It never mattered." Dick said.

"Yeah," Wally said, "Green Arrow and Batman obviously trusted you enough to put you on The Team, and you've more than earned out trust since then."

"We would never judge you on who your family is, Artemis." M'gann said.

"Yeah," Conner said, "you're not them."

"I don't know what to say." Artemis had tears in her eyes, "Thanks guys"

"Of course, Artemis. Please," Kaldur said, "continue your story." Artemis took another deep breath.

"Growing up in my family, you can probably imagine things were a little different. My father trained my sister and I mercilessly."

"Trained you?" M'gann asked, "For what?"

"To join in the family business." Artemis said darkly, "He wanted us to follow in his footsteps."

"But you didn't." Wally said, "What happened?"

"My mom got injured in battle one day. She's in a wheelchair now. She got arrested and my father was left to raise my sister and I by himself. Jade didn't want that though, so she ran away and became Cheshire."

"You were left with your villain father all by yourself?" Kaldur asked concerned, "that could not have been easy."

"Yeah," Artemis said, "he was really hard on me. He expected nothing but perfection. If I messed up… he wasn't happy." Everyone had a dark expression on their face. They knew what Artemis was saying. They understood all the pain she must have gone through growing up, and they weren't happy about it.

"Why didn't you just run away?" Conner asked, almost in a growl.

"How could I!" Artemis asked, "Someone had to be home when my mother got out of prison. Jade had already left, and my father definitely wouldn't be there."

"So, you endured all that," Kaldur asked, "so that when your mother retuned home… she would not be alone?"

"I guess." Artemis said with her head down.

"What was it like?" Dick asked in a quiet voice, "being trained by your father?"

"Hard." Artemis responded, "he would make me train for hours without a break. One slip up and I'd have to do whatever it was all over again. Failure was _not_ an option."

"How did you end up being a hero?" M'gann asked, "If your father was so strict about everything. How did you get out?"

"When my mom got out of prison, she sent my father away. She didn't want me to have any part of that life."

"But you do." Conner said, "Just on the other side of the fight."

"For a bit, I was able to live a normal life." Artemis said, "no more fighting or bow and arrow or anything related to that life."

"It must have felt really good after everything you had gone through." Wally said.

"At first," Artemis agreed, "but after a bit, it just felt wrong sitting around, not taking action."

"Why?" Wally asked, "You could finally have a normal life?"

"When my mom kicked my dad out, he told her I would never be able to get out of the life. I wanted to prove him wrong, pave my own path."

"Wow." Dick said, "That takes guts."

"It wasn't easy. I didn't think my mother would be happy with my choice, so I snuck out and started stopping small crimes at night."

"How did you end up as Green Arrow's partner?" Kaldur asked.

"Batman and Green Arrow showed up at my house the day after I helped you guys with the arrow and Amazo." Artemis chuckled, "I guess they caught wind of what I was doing."

"Hey," Dick said, "It's Gotham. Batman and I know everything that goes on in our city. We knew the second you put on the mask." Artemis glared.

"I can't believe you never told me you knew! You've purposely been teasing me at the Zeta Tube every day!"

"Yep!" Dick said with a grin. "It's been very entertaining for me, honestly." Artemis opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by M'gann.

"Don't leave us on a cliff hanger! What did they say when they showed up at your house?"

"They told me they knew what I had been doing." Artemis laughed quietly, "I thought they were going to tell me I had to stop. Instead, they offered me a place on The Team."

"Your mom was okay with that?" Wally asked.

"Yeah. She was just glad I wasn't a criminal." Artemis said, "Anyway, I guess that's my backstory."

"Wow," Wally said, "thanks for trusting us with your story. I know it wasn't easy to talk about."

"I'm glad I did." Artemis said, "I feel so much better now that you all know." Everyone grinned.

"Now just one person left!" M'gann said, "Are you ready Dick?"

* * *

 **A bit of a cliff hanger to end off the chapter! Please review. Thanks for reading!**


	6. Dick

**Here it is! The last chapter! I hope you enjoy! I know you've all heard Dick's backstory before and I hope I was able to do it justice.**

* * *

Dick sighed. He wore a sad grin on his face.

"I don't think I'll ever be _ready_ , but sure. Let's start." Wally put his arm around Dick's shoulder.

"Hey, we're here for you. You don't need to tell it if you're not ready" Dick took a deep breath.

"I know, really. It's time for you guys to know."

"How you became Robin?" M'gann asked, "I'm so excited to finally find out!"

"Did Batman always know you would follow in his footsteps?" Kaldur asked. Dick looked confused for a second before bursting out into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Conner asked. Dick looked around.

"Wait," he said, "did you all think Batman was my father?" The Team, minus Wally all looked confused.

"He isn't?" Artemis asked.

"When I told you guys my name," Dick said, "did you not realize Bats and I have different last names?"

"You never told us _Batman's_ name." Conner said. "Only yours."

"Well… I assumed you'd know it."

"Hang on…" Artemis said, "You said your name is Dick. As in Richard Grayson. Oh… _oh_!" Artemis looked horrified. Dick smirked.

"Yeah, Batman is Bruce Wayne." Dick said. M'gann squealed.

"I see him on TV all the time! He's really Batman?"

"Yep!" Dick said.

"If he's not your father," Conner asked, "how do you know him?" Dick frowned.

"He's my guardian."

"Your guardian?" Kaldur asked.

"Yeah- It's probably easier for me to just start from the beginning." When he received no reply, he began. "I grew up in the circus. My family and I were a trapeze act."

"Wow!" M'gann said, "That must have been amazing!" Dick had a faraway look in his eyes and a smile on his face.

"It was." He said, "We were The Flying Grayson's. We were the best. We always preformed without a net."

"Wasn't that scary?" Artemis asked.

"Nah. We knew what we were doing."

"What was it like growing up in the circus?" Conner asked. Dick smiled.

"We traveled all over. I got to see the most beautiful places and meet the most amazing people. All the while traveling with my family and the rest of the circus. They were kind of like my extended family. They had all known me since I was a baby."

"That's so cool." Artemis said, "Were they all from the same places?"

"Nope. There were people from all over. I grew up knowing multiple languages fluently. I spoke French with the knife thrower, Russian to the strong man, Spanish to the magician and Romani with my family. I knew English okay because of the ringleader, Jack Haley, but I didn't like to speak it much."

"Wow!" M'gann said, "English isn't even your first language! You can't even tell!"

"The circus sounds amazing." Kaldur said, "Why did you leave?" Dick frowned. He responded in a stony voice.

"The circus took a trip to Gotham City." No one knew what to say. Everyone was quiet as they waited for Dick to continue. They had all heard about the dangers of Gotham, and Artemis knew firsthand how bad it was there. "I was eight. The first day there, while we were setting up, I was running around, playing, when I heard shouting in Jack's tent. I went to see what it was. I heard a stranger in the tent demand Jack to pay up, but he refused. The man told Jack he'd regret his choice, then stormed out, bumping into me on the way."

"What did the man want from Jack?" Conner asked.

"I didn't know at the time, but I was worried. Jack told me not to worry about it, so I continued playing. The next day was our first show in the city. I was excited as usual to perform with my parents. There's nothing like flying on a trapeze in front of an audience." Dick hesitated. Artemis's voice was barley a whisper when she asked,

"Did something happen during the show?" Dick looked pained, but he continued,

"I saw the man from the day before leave the performance tent as my parents and I entered. I was about to tell my parents, but…" Dick stopped.

"Hey," Wally said, "it's okay, take your time." He gave Dick a hug with his arm around his shoulder. "we're here for you."

"Thanks." Dick said, his voice a whisper. He continued, "the show was starting, so I brushed it aside. I didn't tell them. The show started and everything was fine. The performances went on as usual. Finally, it was our turn. My parents started. They swung on the trapeze as if they were born there. I was about to join in the act… but then the trapeze broke." Dick's voice was quiet but the pain in his voice was clear. "The rope snapped. My parents fell." M'gann gasped and started crying. Kaldur, Conner and Artemis looked troubled, and Wally looked somber. "I went down the platform to my parents but…" Dick had a far away look in his eyes as he continued, "I heard the crack as they fell. I still hear it. Always. I kept shaking them, begging for them to get up, but they didn't. I didn't want to let them go… but then Bruce Wayne came." Dick sounded a little more hopeful. "He put his jacket on top of my parents and pulled me away. He gave me the smallest amount of comfort." M'gann was openly crying. Kaldur had tears in his eyes and everyone else looked close to tears as well.

"What happened after that?" Conner asked, "Batman adopted you?" Dick laughed, but it was empty of humor.

"I wasn't allowed to go back to the circus." He said with a bitter tone, "I was officially in Gotham's custody."

"So, what happened?" Artemis asked. She had thought he must have gone to Bruce Wayne right away, but it didn't seem like that's what Dick was saying.

"My social worker didn't know what to do with me. All the orphanages in Gotham were full, and being a bit of a racist," Dick said bitterly, "she put me in the juvenile detention center in Gotham."

"Wait," Artemis said, "You were in _Juvie_!? Because your parents died!?"

"But you didn't do anything wrong." Conner said with a frown.

"Yeah," Dick said, "tell me about it."

"How long were you there?" M'gann asked in a quiet voice as she wiped away her tears.

"About a month." Dick said, "It was terrible. I didn't like speaking English so much, so I sounded funny when I talked, and I wasn't used to the violence in Gotham, so I got beat up a lot. If it wasn't for my acrobatics, I probably wouldn't have survived. As it was, it was hard to fight back."

"How did you get out?" Kaldur asked.

"When Bruce heard about where I was placed, he decided to take me in. He stormed in with a bunch of lawyers and I went home with him that day."

"And then he told you he was Batman?" M'gann asked. Dick laughed.

"Are you kidding? Batman doesn't tell anyone his secret. Even his ward." Everyone looked confused.

"So how do you know Batman's secret Identity?" Conner asked.

"Well… I didn't know right away." Dick said, "I was still coping with my parent's death. I was full of anger towards their killer-"

"Wait," Artemis said, "Killer?"

"Yeah." Dick said in a bitter voice. "When I overheard the man threatening Haley the day before the show, I heard his mention a man named Tony Zucco." Dick said the name venomously. "I was the only one that saw him leave the tent the next day, _plus_ I heard the treat the day before. I knew my parents died because of Zucco. He had wanted the circus to pay 'protection' money, but Haley refused."

"So, what happened?" Artemis asked, "Did you tell the police?"

"Yeah," Dick said, "but Zucco had gone underground. Not even Batman was able to find him."

"How did you know?" Kaldur asked.

"When I first went to live at the Manor with Bruce, he wasn't around much. I spent most of my time with Agent A - Alfred - or wandering around the empty halls, brooding. I was getting restless. I wanted to get revenge for my parents."

"Did you?" M'gann asked in a quiet voice.

"One night," Dick responded, "I couldn't sleep again, so I was up. I was sitting in a room and looking at a portrait of Bruce's parents that was hanging on the wall. Then I heard a weird noise. I tuned around in the chair and saw Alfred exiting a secret passage in the wall!"

"How did he react to seeing you?" Conner asked. "Was he mad?"

"He didn't notice me. When he left the room, I opened the secret passage and went in. Turns out, I was in the Batcave. I walked down a corridor in awe right as the Batmobile drove in! That's when I found out that Bruce Wayne is Batman."

"Ha!" Wally said, "I would have loved to see his reaction to seeing you down there!" Dick chuckled.

"Yeah, it was pretty funny."

"What happened after that?" M'gann asked. "You became Robin?"

"Not at first." Dick said. "I asked him to let me help him find Zucco, but he wouldn't. He sent me back to my room. I was furious. I decided to find Zucco on my own, so I ran away." M'gann gasped.

"You ran away?" She sounded worried, "Isn't that dangerous in Gotham?"

"Pretty much." Dick said, "But I was okay. I managed to track down Zucco somehow. I chased him to a ledge. Batman showed up right as he started falling. I caught him with one of Batman's grappling hooks I had taken, and brought him over to Batman, who cuffed him."

"Didn't you want revenge?" Artemis asked? "Why did you save him?"

"I knew it was wrong. I got justice for my parents murder instead of revenge."

"Wow," Kaldur said, "that is a very mature decision for someone so young."

"Thanks." Dick said, "After that, I forced Batman to take me on as his partner!" Dick grinned.

"He did not say no?" Kaldur asked? "No kid had ever been a hero before? The idea of it was crazy."

"I didn't give him a choice. I told him I'd go out either way, but with him, I'd actually have a chance of surviving. He couldn't really say no."

"So, you basically started the whole 'get on board or get out of the way' thing." Wally said. Dick shrugged.

"I guess."

"Just because Batman agreed, doesn't mean the rest of the world did." Artemis said, "I mean, how _did_ everyone react? People basically thought Batman made a child soldier or something."

"Responses varied." Dick said, "most were infuriated with Batman for bringing a kid into his world, but the kids of Gotham were inspired. That helped sway public opinion pretty quickly. Plus, when people saw I was nothing like the brooding Bat, it gave them hope. No one can really argue with hope."

"Wow," M'gann said, "I can't believe you went through all that and you _still_ smile every day!"

"Do you miss the circus?" Conner asked.

"Always." Dick said. "I remember my life from then with happiness, and I visit from time to time, but I don't feel the need to go back anymore. I'm happy with Bruce, and I wouldn't want to change things."

"Thank you, Dick, for sharing." Kaldur said. "I believe we have all learned a great deal about each other through this exercise."

"And look!" Wally said, pointing to the clock, "Time's up! We can go home! No more bonding for tonight." Everyone grinned. It had been an emotional, but good day at the cave.

"Good night, everyone" Kaldur said with a grin before leaving through the Zeta Tubes. They all said their good nights and went home. They had had a long day.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Please review!**


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